Fastener applying device



June 2l, 1955 H. J. PENCER 2,710,964

FASTENER APPLYING DEVICE June 21, 1955 H. J. SPENCER 2,710,964

FASTENER APPLYING DEVICE 49a 49a l l 49a IN V EN TOR.

Filed Aug. 16, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 2l, 1955 H. J. SPENCER 2,710,964

FASTENER APPLYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 16, 1952 3 23 zzb 22h r l 2 I 96 m 220,25 l E ZEC 45 43 zzar 22a Fl n wif-E Fig 22 Ft 9 33 33a 220 fz 22h E )x-:l j, d1 Figa 1 9' 22C F q. 2 O INVENTOR.

Y MMM@ United States Patent fi FASTENER APPLYING DEVICE Herman J. Spencer, Ingomar, Pa.

Application August 16, 1952, Serial No. 304,828

4 Claims. (Cl. 1-49) This invention relates to a fastener applying device such for example as a stapling or tacking device in which staples or other fasteners are fed to an ejection shute and are then ejected by a spring actuated fastener driver. The fastener driver is actuated by a spring in which energy is stored upon depression of a manually operated lever, the driver being raised as the manually operated lever is depressed and thereafter when energy is stored in the spring the driver is released so as to cause it to move downwardly and drive a fastener under the action of the spring.

One object of the invention is to provide a device small enough to lit into an ordinary size coat pocket and yet be powerful enough to do a good job of driving the fasteners.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device that can be economically made and yet ruggedly built from a design standpoint.

A further object is to provide means for loading fastener and removing jammed fasteners without removing any parts or having to open a gate as is necessary in many devices of this type.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred embodiment of my invention- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through the device with the parts in their starting position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the operating lever as being fully depressed, with the driver having been raised to permit a fastener to be moved into the ejection shute below the driver and the driving spring as having been compressed;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures l and 2 but showing the driver as' having been driven downward by action of the driving spring with the operating lever remaining in the depressed position shown in Figure 2. This ligure also illustrates the driving spring as acting as a resilient means for stopping the driving motion of the driving mechanism;

Figure 4 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure l, certain parts being omitted for clearness of illustration;

Figure 5 is a front elevation and Figure 6 is a side elevation of the spring guide support member;

Figure 7 is a side elevation and Figure 8 is a front elevation of the trigger;

Figure 9 is a vertical transverse section taken on line IX--IX of Figure 1;

Figure 10 is a rear elevation, Figure l1 a plan view and Figure l2 is a side elevation in section of the rocker arm;

Figure 13 is part of a view similar to Figure 4 but showing a variation in the means used to absorb the shock in stopping the driving motion of the driving apparatus;

Figure 14 is an end view and Figure 15 is a plan View of the shock absorber washer;

Figure 16 is a Vertical transverse similar to Figure 9 with the upper part of the device omitted to illustrate P Ice 2,710,964

the manner in which a strip of staples is inserted into the staple magazine;

Figure 17 is a side elevation view and Figure 18 is a plan view of the spring guide support member;

Figures 19, 20 and 21 are, respectively, a side view, a top View and a front view of one of the frame plates;

Figure 22 is a plan View and Figure 23 is a side view of the driving blade.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the base 2 of the machine constitutes a staple magazine in which a stick of staples is inserted and the individual staples are fed forwardly to a staple ejection shute underneath a staple driving blade and there acted upon by the driving blade as hereinafter explained. The staple magazine 2 is a slotted tube-like structure made of sheet metal and is substantially U-shaped in cross-section. It has a base 2a, see Figures 2 and 9, a vertical side well 2b, and a vertical side wall 2c. The stick of staples S is placed over a U-shaped staple guide 4, as shown in Figure 16, and the stick is pressed downwardly so as to cam the hooked ends 5 of the resilient staple hold-down member 6 aside so as to allow the staples to be placed on the guide. Thereafter, the resilient hold-down members 6 snap over the staples so the latter will assume the position shown in Figure 9. The staples S are moved forwardly towards the ejection shute 55 along guide 4 by a staple pusher 7, shown in Figure 2. The staple follower is of inverted U-shape in cross-section and is of the same configuration as the staples. It is moved forward by a coil -spring 8, one end 9 of which is secured to an upturned end 10 of the staple guide 4. The spring passes around a pulley 11 located at the forward end of the staple magazine and is mounted on a shaft the ends of which t in apertured bearings on the side walls of the staple guide 4, and its other end 12 is secured to a downward turned lug 13 formed from the web of pusher 7. The rear end 14 of the staple guide 4 is sloped downwardly and rearwardly so that the pusher can be tilted as shown in Figure 2, in which position the forward end 15 of the pusher fits into notch 16 formed in the holddown member 6. The staple pusher is moved to the tilted position shown in Figure 2 when a stick of staples is to be inserted into the staple magazine 2 or jammed staples are to be removed. In its normal and operative position the pusher 7 is horizontal and lies behind and in line with the stick of staples and below the inturned anges 5 of the hold-down member 6. In this position the pusher moves the staples S forwardly in the magazine to a position underneath the staple driving blade to be described.

The forward portion of the staple magazine is provided with two upstanding brackets 21 (Figures l, 2 and 4) spaced transversely of the machine. The front of the machine is closed by a web portion 21a integral with the two side brackets 21. The brackets 21 extend rearwardly and are formed inwardly to provide a lower handgrip 17 overlying the magazine 2, see Figures l and 9. The rearwardly extending handgrip portion of brackets 21 are pressed inwardly at 18 to form pockets and are provided with slots 19 in Figures l and 4 or holes 20 as shown in Figure 13, respectively, for reasons to be described. Frame plates 22 (Figure 19) are secured to the inward sides of frame brackets 21, the forward edges 22a of plates 22 act as a rear guide for the driving blade (Figure 4), plates 22 have inwardly formed portions 22b that form an obstruction means that will be described and one of the frame plates has a lug 22C formed inwardly that acts to hold a spring end in place, see Figures 3, 4, 19, 20 and 2l. Frame plates 22 are pierced at 23 and 24 to receive pins 25 and 26 respectively and these holes line up with corresponding holes in brackets 21.

Patented June Z1, 1955 The operating lever 27 which is of inverted U-shape has its side members pierced at its forward end and is pivoted thereby on pin 25 and intermediate its ends the levers sides are pierced to receive pin 28. A pawl 29 which is of inverted U-shape has its two sides pierced at 30 and is pivoted on pin 28 which Yis carried by the operating lever 27. The lower edges 31 of the pawls sides are adapted to engage correspondingly spaced arms 40 on rocker arm 3 to rotate the latter for reasons to be described and pawl 29 has an extension forwardly of its web portion bent downward and notched at 32 to receive one leg 53 of a spring 51.

The driving blade 33, see Figures 22 and 23, is preferably made from the same gage steel as the staple being used, the upper portion has an opening 34 adapted to receive the forwardly extending arm 35 of the rocker arm 3 and the blade is reciprocated in the device by arm 35 of the rocker arm 3.

The body of rocker arm 3 has a drilled hole 36 and when in the device is pivoted on pin 26, extending vertically from the rocker arm body are two centrally spaced arms 37 which are pierced at 33 to receive pin 39 and extending rearwardly from said body are two additional arms 40 spaced apart so as to be in line with and adapted to engage edges 31 on the pawl 29.

The flat end of the spring guide bolt 43 is pivotally mounted through its hole 44 between arms 37 on a pin 39, its bolt portion, which has a thread at its rear end to receive nut 45, extends rearward, longitudinally in the device and is substantially in a horizontal position. A shock absorber washer 46 (Figures 3 and 4) is placed on the bolt portion of member 43 and slid forward to be stopped by shoulders 45, a driving spring 48 is placed on the bolt with one end against washer 46, the spring guide support block 49 is moved onto the bolt behind the driving spring 48 and nut 45 is then screwed on the threaded bolt end against the resistance of spring 48. ln the modification shown in Figure 13, it will be observed that a shock spring 50 is between block 49 and nut 45 for a reason to be explained later.

In the preferred form shown in Figure l, 2, 3, and 4, reduced portions 18 are provided with open end slots 19 (Figure 4) into which lugs 49a (Figure 5) on support block 49 slide and are arrested at the rearward end of slots 19. In the modified form shown in Figure 13, holes 20 are provided in reduced portions 18 to prevent lugs 49a from moving longitudinally yet permitting support block 49 to pivot.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a spring 51 coiled around pin 25 with one leg=of the spring 52 held by lug 22e and f the other leg 53 of spring 51 engaging notch 32 on pawl 29 s0 as to urge pawl 29 clockwise on pin 28 which is secured to operating lever 27. It will be apparent that pressure of spring leg 53 on pawl 29 will also urge operating lever 27 to pivot counter-clockwise on pin 2S which is supported in brackets 21.

The operation of the fastener driving apparatus is as follows: Assume that a supply of staples S is in the staple magazine 2 and that the staple pusher 7 has been moved from the tilted position shown in Figure 2 to a horizontal ft:

position so that the staple pusher is operative to exert pressure through the spring 8 against the staples to feed them forwardly through the staple magazine 2. The operating lever 27 is rotated clockwise on pin 25 until it assumes the position shown in Figure 2 where the web portion of the operating lever 27 has come to rest on the top 49b of the support block 49. As the operating lever 27 moves from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 2, the lower edges 31 on the pawl 29 engage shoulders 41 on rocker arms 40, thereby pivoting rocker arm 3 clockwise on pin 26. It will be apparent that clockwise rotation of rocker arm 3 will raise the driver blade 33 through arm 35 and shift spring support bolt 43 rearwardly through cooperation in rocker arms 37 and pin 39. It will also be apparent that spring 48 CII will be compressed to store energy as it is compressed between the shock absorber washer 46 as it travels with bolt 43 and the support block 49 which is held from moving rearwardly by its lugs 49a being in contact with the end of slots 19 (Figure 4), and that nut 45 will move away from support block 49 as the bolt 43 slides through support block 49. Notice in Figure 2 that the vertical edges 42 on rocker arms 40 contact edges 29a on pawl 29 to urge pawl edges 31 to move off of rocker arm edges 41 when the pawl 29 through the operating lever 27 reaches the position shown in Figure 2, thereby releasing the rocker arm 3 so that the compressed spring 48 can expand to rotate the rocker 3 counterclockwise on pin 26. Notice in Figure 2 that the lower end of the driving blade 33 has risen above the stick of staples and that a staple is in position beneath the driver 33.

When rocker arm 3 is released from the pawl 29, the driving end of spring 48 which end is against shock absorber washer 46 urges the rocker arm 3 to rotate counter-clockwise on pin 26 through the cooperation of support bolt shoulders and pin 39 held in rocker arms 37 and thereby lower the driving blade 33 to drive a staple S by action of rocker arm 35 in the driver blade opening 34. When the driving blade 33 reaches the position shown in Figure l, the shock absorber edges 47 contact the edges 22b of frame plate 22 and the shock absorber and the driving end of the spring 48 are stopped from further urging of the rocker arm 3 in fastener driving direction and at this approximate point the nut 45 has moved with spring support bolt 43 to contact the rearward side of support block 49.

It will be apparent from the above description that the driving spring can no longer urge the rocker arm 3 in fastener driving direction. However, the rocker arm 3 can still rotate in driving direction due to its driving momentum and as explained above, the driving end of spring 48 was stopped and therefore further movement of rocker 3 in fastener driving direction will pull nut 45 on support rod 43 through pin 39 on rocker arms 37 in further fastener driving direction, and thereby nut 45 will move support block 49 forwardly in slots 19 against thc resistance of spring 48 to stop and cushion the end of the driving stroke.

ln Figure 13 a shock spring 50 is shown to illustrate the nut 45 being pulled against and thereby compressing spring against support member 49 held from moving in holes 20 to stop and thereby cushion the end of the driving stroke.

Note in Figures l and 2 that the extended direction of the force of driving spring 48 against rocker arm 3 during a driving stroke changes very little. However, it will be apparent that should arms 37 and holes 38 be placed 7 to the right of the vertical as shown in Figure l and 35 on the same side in Figure 2, the extended direction of spring 48s force against rocker arm 3 would increase considerably during a fastener driving stroke and that were this change moved to the left side of the vertical in Figures l and 2, the extended direction of spring 48s force against rocker 3 during a fastener driving stroke would decrease.

While l have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied or practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a fastener device, a frame, a fastener driver reciprocably mounted in a driver guide, means for feeding fasteners into position to be driven by said driver, an operating lever pivoted to said frame, a rocker arm piv oted to said frame and operatively connected to said driver to actuate the latter, a spring guide extending longitudinally in the device operably supported at one end on said rocker arm and thereby movable with said rocker arm around the pivot of the latter on said frame, said spring guides other end being operably supported by a guide member, said guide member being mounted in said frame, a driving spring held in line by said spring guide and interposed between said supports of said spring guide, a releasable pawl means cooperating between said operating lever and said rocker arm to rotate the latter to thereby raise the driver to permit a staple to be fed into position beneath the driver on depression of said operating lever, said spring adapted to be compressed upon depression of said operating lever and said spring thereby exerts pressure on said rocker arm to rotate the latter counterclockwise to thereby lower the driver in staple driving direction, obstruction means adapted to release said pawl means from said roc'ker arm as said operating lever is depressed and said driver is raised and said rocker arm is rotated clockwise, thereby permitting said driving spring to expand to urge said rocker arm counterclockwise in fastener driving direction to apply a fastener.

2. Claim l and further characterized by abutment means on said spring guide, said abutment means moving away from said guide member on depression of said operating lever, a resilient shock means between said abutment means and said guide member adapted to be contacted by said abutment on said spring guide to stop the latters movement in driving direction to thereby cushion the driving stroke of said driver.

3. In a fastener device, a frame, a fastener driver reciprocably mounted in a driver guide, means for feeding fasteners into position to be driven by said driver, an operating lever pivoted to said frame, a rocker arm pivoted to said frame and operably connected to said driver to actuate the latter, a spring guide in the device which has one of its ends operably supported on said rocker arm and thereby its one end is movable around the pivot of said rocker arm on said frame, said spring guides other end being operably supported by a movable guide member, limiting means on said spring guide for limiting movement apart by said spring guides supports, said guide member being mounted at the end in slots in said frame to permit movement of said guide member towards said rocker arm, cooperating means bctween said spring guide and at least one of the latters supports to permit the latter to move towards the other and in relation to said spring guide, a driving spring held in line by said spring guide and interposed between said supports of said spring guide, a releasable pawl means cooperating between said operating lever and said rocker arm to rotate the latter clockwise to thereby raise the driver to permit a staple to be fed into position beneath said driver on depression of said operating lever, said spring adapted to be compressed upon depression of said operating lever and said spring thereby exerts pressure on said rocker arm to rotate the latter counterclockwise to thereby lower the driver in staple driving direction, obstruction means adapted to release said pawl means from said rocker arm as said operating lever is depressed and said driver is raised and said rocker arm is rotated clockwise to thereby permit said driving spring to expand to urge said rocker arm counterclockwise in driving direction to apply a fastener.

4. Claim 3 and further characterized by a shock absorber washer loosely mounted on said spring guide between one end of said driving spring and said spring guides operable support on said rocker arm, said shock absorber washer thereby moving in a path around the pivot of said rocker arm when the latter is urged in driving direction by said driving spring, a stop on the device in the path of said shock absorber washer adapted to stop the latters movement in driving direction and thereby stopping said one end of said driving spring, said limiting means adapted thereafter to contact and move said movable guide member towards said shock absorber washer to thereby compress said driving spring to cushion the driving stroke of the driver.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

